What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
by Shadowclanwarrior
Summary: In what he feels is an attempt to give Alice more of a reason to stay in Wonderland, Peter White goes back to her world to find another outsider to befriend Alice. However, he instead not only ends up in a world nothing like Alice's, but ends up bringing three fangirls into the world of their favorite manga where a fangirl fantasy soon turns into a strange reality.
1. Liz in Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

 **Well...anyone experiencing any deja vu XD? If the summery or title seems familiar, this is a rewrite of the story Three Fangirls in the Country of Hearts: What Could Possibly Go Wrong. After going through it a couple of times, I realized how unfocused and inconsistent it is in terms of tone and direction and decided to redo the whole thing with a much better focus on what this story is about. For those of you who have read the previous story, even though the premise is still the same the old chapters have been rewritten and will be like reading another version of the original chapter. For those of you who haven't read the original, here is a little background about it:**

 **As the summery indicates, this story is a self insert fanfic. Normally, I despise the thought of literally placing my true self into one of my works. However...this was written for two close friends of mine, in which we came up with situations if we were to enter the Country of Hearts. It gave me inspiration, and since my friends were super excited about me writing it, I decided to give in to my inner fangirl and just write it out, posting it online so she would have easier access to it.**

 **Though just because I tribute this to my friends and is a self insert story, that does not mean I will not accept criticism. Nor does it mean I will not try hard to make sure it is as good as a fanfic of its kind can get. So please, do treat it like any other story, but just note what you are getting yourself into. It will be a challenge to write, strongly basing the OCs on my friends and I, but I am willing to step up and test my writing skills (and who knows, maybe it _is_ possible to write a good quality self insert story XD).**

 **Anyways, I hope you do enjoy it and please review!**

* * *

Swirls of colors engulfed Liz's sight. Greens, blues, reds, whites–they whirl painting a picture similar to those of Van Gogh. Numbness accompanied her disoriented vision which refused to settle. She groaned, entangling her hand in her dark chocolate colored hair. A bitter, yet pleasant taste that reminded her of black coffee sat upon her tongue. The world slowly came into focus. She was staring at a bright and partly cloudy blue sky.

…Why wasn't she freezing? It was winter, wasn't it?

Confused and faintly light headed, Liz stopped rubbing her head and blinked at the warm sunny day that she knew was wrong. As she sat up and glanced around. Lush grass that was surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges, and a sing-song type of voice ringing in her ears.

Dazed, she turned to the source of the voices only to find a strikingly handsome man in a red suit and white bunny ears approach her and another man that was leaving…

Liz's eyes grew wide.

Wait. _Bunny ears_?!

"Ah! Good to see you are not seriously harmed."

"Huh…?"

Harmed? That explained why her head was aching, but not how she got hurt. She remembered a party. The New Year's party that her family threw…her best friends, Kat and Katie, were there...

"You fainted on the trip down," the handsome white haired man said, cutting her thoughts off. "You must still be dazed."

He came to her side, a pleased look in his ruby red eyes. He looked so familiar…

A memory suddenly flashed in Liz's mind. A pair of arms ensnared her, a sudden warmth engulfing her from the cold. She yelped in surprise, being carried off faster than she could comprehend…

" _Liz!"_

" _Elizabeth!"_

She and her friends were yelling, her desperately clinging to her captor's red coat.

There was falling, and then…

… _Oh._ Her blood turned to ice as the reality sank in. _Oh no…_

This was _not_ good. This was _very_ _not good_.

Standing in front of Liz was the one and only fictional character, Peter White. And she must be in Wonderland.

 _No... This_ has _to be a dream. This cannot be real. It cannot be him. It must be a cosplayer or something._

A _cosplayer_ who kidnapped her!

The red-eyed man blinked, tipping his head to the side.

"Are you well? You have been quiet for some time now. You are able to hear what I say, right?"

"…You fucking kidnapped me!" Liz suddenly yelled in anger, quickly standing up. "Where am I? Who the hell are you? Take me back!"

The Peter White…Cosplayer looked amused. "A furious one, you are!" he exclaimed. "A much shorter temper than my fair Alice!"

He suddenly glared at her as Liz tightened her fists.

"Now before you start attacking me, I shall explain everything."

He cleared his throat.

"My name is Peter White, the prime minster of Heart Castle. You are in the Country of Hearts, my dear, an outsider to a world where everyone is defined by the role they are born into, or even lack of role. All outsiders have to play the game once they drink the Medicine of the Heart."

 _Country of Hearts? I'm in the actual Country of Hearts?! And that vial is empty…_

Now that Liz thought about it, staring at the empty glass vial Peter held in his hand, she did remember the taste of bitter coffee while disoriented from fainting…

 _That asshat! He is gonna pay for that!_

Without warning, Liz drew her fist back and punched Peter's face with all the force she could muster. He stumbled back with a cry; surprised from the unexpected, but deserved, assault. Taking the opportunity, she sprinted towards one of the many paths through the hedges hoping to take the slim chance to escape.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins, helping her run faster than she thought she could. But the odds were not in her favor as she made just a short distance before she could hear footsteps behind her accompanied by an angry shout.

However her efforts to run were in vain. Running blindly in the hedge maze left her at a dead end.

 _Well…shit._

Skidding to a stop, Liz knew she was screwed. Assessing her surroundings, she could either wait for gun-toting Peter White or throw herself at the dense hedges to try to get through and slow her down.

Spinning around, she came face to face with the barrel of Peter's gun.

"What is _wrong_ with you outsiders?!"

Liz froze staring at the gun inches from blowing her away. One finger twitch and she would be dead. No coming back. It would be an understatement to say she was terrified.

"I get tackled as I fall down the rabbit hole, only to then be assaulted by the outsider I choose to be Alice's new friend!" He ranted as Liz took a small step back.

"… T-tackled?" she hesitantly asked with a surprisingly steady voice, tearing her eyes away from the gun. Peter let out a heavy sigh.

" _Yes_. Your friends were very persistent. There was nothing I could do to shake them off. I had no choice but to bring one of them with us. Not sure what happened to the other one though..."

 _Kat and Katie are here in Wonderland too?! I hope they are okay…_

"What did you do to my friends?" she questioned sharply.

"Nothing that concerns you. You are lucky that I need you for Alice or otherwise I would have ended you already!"

The harsh, dark tone in his voice made Liz immediately become quiet. There was nothing she could do. He could easily shoot her point blank if she tried to attack. No escape either. She was stuck playing hostage. There was a tense silence as they glared at each other.

"I don't know where your friends are," Peter finally answered. "However the one who tackled me I was able to push off and she must have landed somewhere else. I have alerted the castle guard that there is another outsider in Wonderland. The other one could either still be in your world or be somewhere out there just like your other friend."

Putting his pistol away, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Either way, I need to find out where they are before another roleholder does. Even if you are still mad at me, it will do you no good. If you want any chance of surviving Wonderland, I strongly suggest you come with me."

He stepped back, waiting for Liz to come to him.

She stared at Peter for a long moment, while she was relieved that he had put the gun away, which turned into a pocket watch. His red gaze still had a hostile look in them; but she didn't feel threatened by them like before.

 _I just need to cooperate...till I figure out what exactly is going on._

Steeling herself from any lingering fear, she walked forward and followed him towards the strange heart shaped castle.

 _How am I here talking with a fictional character from a manga?! And I know stuff from the books that outsiders shouldn't know._

She did read the manga Katie had introduced to her and Kat, getting them instantly hooked. It was kinda like a guilty pleasure since she was sort of a tomboy and wasn't that into romance. She never really put the thought in guys, especially now that she was in college. And now that she was an outsider here… _everyone_ will fall in love with her.

Sighing at the stressful thought, Liz noticed that she was falling behind. Quickening her steps, she silently cursed her short legs before passing a faceless guard. Seeing it in real life instead of on the pages of the manga shocked her. She couldn't help but slow down and stare at the empty place where their eyes should be.

Peter, who had noticed the outsider's footsteps, had slowed and turned in annoyance. Grabbing her forearm in his gloved hand, he pulled her along to their destination; not caring why she had stopped. After a few seconds of being pulled, Liz in turn pulled her arm away, but still followed. There was a tense silence.

"Why don't they have eyes?"

He glanced at her. "They are the faceless. They don't have roles. I would have explained had you not tried to escape."

"That's your own fault for kidnapping me."

He shot her a glare before asking,

"What is your name?"

"…Liz."

Peter and Liz emerged from the hedge maze/garden and headed inside the large fairytale-like structure.

"Where are we going?"

"I am taking you to the queen to inform her of your arrival."

 _We are going to see Vivaldi? Great..._

Liz continued to follow the Prime Minister, wondering if this was going to turn into anything like those Mary Sue, self-insert fanfics she read online...


	2. Also, Katrina in Wonderland

_Oh sh- crap baskets._

Katrina tried to reach for her glasses and flip flops, a strong determination burning in her brown eyes. She was hanging, upside down, from a tree, in a position where she could barely move her legs. She grunted, stretching as far as she could.

 _Crack!_

 _Nononononononononono._

"Ow."

She then fell to the ground, lucky enough to fall next to her glasses and not crush them. She laid there for a second, debating the pros and cons of getting up. Deciding it was best to do something she sat up and grabbed her glasses.

"I can see. I can fight!"

Standing up and testing her limbs, Katrina was glad nothing was seriously injured. Sighing heavily, she vaguely recalled walking outside on New Year's Eve, panicking, and… tackling a man who look remarkably similar to Peter White. Falling through the air, then slowing down? Shaking her head, the memory wasn't very clear, like a dream that was slipping away.

"No no no no no no no no."

Patting her jean pockets she feels an extra object in her pants, namely a tattletale vial that tells her exactly where she is, as if the bright blue sky and warm air hadn't clued her in already.

 _Welp, I need to stay and find Elizabeth so… down the hatch. Besides, no doubt if that WAS Peter, Elizabeth's taken hers already._

Downingthe vial proved harder than anticipated, as the taste seemed to be a mix of everything Katrina tried to avoid, like soda and hot peppers.

"And what do we have here?"

Stowing the vial as she turned, Katrina blinked and took half a step back. As if appearing out of thin air, a punk teenage boy stood very close to her. He was smiling at her, his bright yellow eyes staring at her intensely with his bright pink hair all in his face.

Katrina's eyes widened.

 _B-Boris? No WAY._

The Cheshire Cat gave off a small laugh.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Snickering, Katrina stuck her tongue out. "Nope. I think my tongue's thill there. What thay you?"

 _I mean I'm pretty sure that was Peter and I am definitely in Wonderland, but seriously. What the_ hell _. I'm ninety percent sure that this was a fictional world. Well, maybe eighty..._

She paused in thought for a second.

 _Or fifty. I think I've finally lost it. Just what I needed._

"Heh, so are you an outsider?" Boris interrupted, sounding amused. "I don't believe I've seen you before."

"Sure…"

In all honesty, Katrina had no idea how to react to being sent to _the_ Country of Hearts or Clover or Joker.

 _Whatever, I'll just have to roll with it._

"Well it's nice ta meet cha. I'm Boris Airay."

"Katrina. Uh, have you, um, seen anyone else new around here? Like a guy with rabbit ears carrying a very angry passenger?"

 _I'll just play it safe for a little while and keep my mouth shut about the manga. No need to sound too crazy right off the bat._

Boris shook his head, looking slightly puzzled. "Nope. Are there more of you?"

"Probably. I, uh…"

Katrina went on to explain what little she recalled. It wasn't much, but it seemed to help the now real life fictional character get an idea of what the situation was.

"I see," Boris said, a thoughtful expression overcoming his face, before he responded. "Well, I can help you find this Elizabeth if you want. I would love to meet some new outsiders and then we can all go to the Amusement Park and play."

His face turned sour.

"Ever since Alice decided to move to Hatter Mansion, she's been coming to the park less and less. I mean, I know she has a thing for the Hatter, but does he have to be that greedy?"

"Oh so Alice hooked up with Blood in this one," Katrina muttered to herself.

 _That eliminates Clover. And this probably isn't Joker, right now. So I guess this is Hearts._

She sighed internally.

 _Why couldn't I have fallen into something non-violent, like Pokémon?_

"What did you say?"

 _Well crap_

"Uh nothing! Nothing at about anything," Katrina exclaimed. "Well except maybe plotting the takeover of your world, but don't worry about it."

There was a small pause, Boris blinking a couple of times at the unexpected response. Slowly, he gave a catlike grin.

"You're strange. Much stranger than Alice. But I think I like you a little more."

" _Shhhhh_. You'll piss off the fangirls."

"'…Fangirls?'"

Flustered Katrina changed the topic, "Uh, so do you know where the man with the rabbit ears might have went?"

 _To Heart Castle._

"Peter? He probably went to Heart Castle but we're much closer to the Amusement Park." Boris said, thinking out loud.

"To Heart Castle!" Katrina exclaimed, striking a heroic pose.

The Cheshire Cat frowned, " _Aww_ …but don'cha wanna have some fun?"

"This will be fun. Don't tell me you don't like breaking and entering."

"Fine, but to the park right after."

"Deal."

With that said, Boris led Katrina through the forest towards the direction of the castle. Hopefully, Elizabeth would be safe and it wouldn't take too long to find her. Though while finding her kidnapped friend was her top priority, there was still concern if Katie ended up here as well.

 _She'd probably love bothering Julius. Ah well, I just hope she's alright, wherever she is._


	3. And Katie Too

Laying in an abyss of black emptiness, Katie slowly started to feel her limbs again. It felt like she just fell from the sky and landed right on top of someone, saving her from her bones shattering.

 _Ugh...I feel awful..._

Though it was curious why she did. Going back through her memories, Katie recalled she was at Liz's New Year's Party. They were having fun...enjoying each others' company after being at three separate colleges and not spending as much time together. It was almost midnight, when suddenly there was a strange sound outside Liz's bedroom. After that it all became a big blur, where the sharp pain in her head only increased the more she thought of it.

As she slowly woke up, Katie began to hear the echoes of a bunch of ticking clocks, the ticking _really_ distracting her from her sleep. She could feel a light weight blanket on top of her, but from the way she was positioned, she sensed that she was lying on a couch.

 _...Wait, when did I get to a couch? Moreover,_ when _and_ why _did I pass out?!_

She then forced herself to open her blue eyes, blinking a couple of times as she stared at the fuzzy cream ceiling. Groaning, she sat up, turning around to see that her glasses were set on the arm rest. She put them on, looking around to see the walls were covered with a bunch of clocks.

"...You're awake I see."

Katie's eyes widened to the deep voice that spoke to her, her heart stopping for a second. W-what?! That didn't sound like anyone from Liz's family! Slowly turning her head, she came face to face with a man with long blue hair and reading glasses, sitting behind a desk with a screwdriver in his hand. Fixing a clock.

"You've been out for several time periods now," Clockmaker Julius Monrey said, almost nonchalant. "You are not hurt, are you?"

It took a moment for Katie to reply, her eyes wide with shock.

...What... _what_?!

"...I'm fine," she finally said, her voice shaky. "Are you...?"

She could hardly speak, her tongue tied in a large knot.

"I'm glad to hear," the man replied. "I dared not check for wounds while you were unconscious, so I am relieved to hear otherwise."

Setting down the screwdriver, (the _maybe)_ Julius from Alice in the Country of Hearts got up from his desk and approached Katie. He took off his glasses, his cold gaze studying her carefully.

"Do you remember what happened? Were you kidnapped or brought here by accident?"

It took a moment for her to reply, unable to keep herself from staring at him.

"Uh...I think both."

She moved her legs from underneath the blanket to sit up straight, staring at her bare feet.

"Is there a particular reason why you don't have any shoes on?" Julius suddenly questioned, his eyebrow raised. "When you first fell on top of me, I thought they might have slipped off during your fall, but I couldn't find any."

"Wait...I _fell_ on you?!"

Katie's eyes widened, swiftly turning her head to face Julius again. He nodded.

"Yes. I was walking home from some errands when suddenly I heard screaming. I looked up, and saw you falling from a high speed. Alarmed, I tried to catch you...only to miss completely and have you land on my back..."

He groaned softly, as if the memory of the incident caused him great pain.

"You fell unconscious when you landed and I carried you back to my tower hoping that you would wake up."

"...Which I did."

Katie stood up, feeling a shiver of pain go through her arms and legs as she moved. However, she did not seem to care about her physical state. She firmly kept her eyes on Julius's gaze.

"You are telling me that I _fell from the sky_. Fell from the sky like Alice did?"

Julius's blue eyes glowed with surprise.

"...You know Alice?"

"Of course I know about Alice Liddell. She is the protagonist in Alice in the County of Hearts."

"...The _what_?"

A mixture of shock and confusion spread across the clockmaker's face. A million thoughts went through Katie's mind as she analyzed the situation.

 _No way... It is_ impossible _! This...this_ has _to be a dream!_

"...And you are Julius Monrey," she continued, subconsciously pacing while she talked, limping as she did. "The clockmaker and mortician of Wonderland."

Julius's face paled dramatically.

"J-just how do you know all that?!" he demanded with a stutter. "Y-you're just an outsider who _just now_ fell from the sky!"

Katie stopped in her movements.

"...I know all this because you're a manga character. Technically video game character, but I'm more familiar with the manga than the original game. And this whole 'country' is nothing more than the setting of a fantasized 'love' story."

She took a few steps towards Julius, feeling the pain come up as she moved her body.

"I am still doubting if all of this is real and I will need some kind of proof to confirm it being real or me gone completely mad. So..."

She took a minute to study the clockmaker for a moment, using logic and scientific reasoning to keep calm while her heart pounded with anxiety.

"...If you don't mind, could you please take one of your wrenches and change it into a gun? Or change my clothes to fit this warmer weather, some kind of magic. That alone can prove to me that you _are_ Julius or not. So...?"

It was extremely awkward for her to request such of thing, and she hated the intense stare he was giving her. Julius glared at her for a long moment, his gaze changing from shock and fear to great suspicion and even a bit of curiosity.

Hesitantly, he reached inside his large Victorian-like styled overcoat and took out a dark metal wrench. His grip tightened on it, where it then morphed into an old fashioned pistol, opening the ammunition and took out all the bullets. Katie's eyes grew wide, feeling the blood drain from her face as Julius walked over to her and brought the wrench-turned-gun to her. Slowly, she took the pistol, feeling the weight of and just staring at it with a million thoughts going through her mind.

 _T-this... It's_ real _. The warm weather, the mysterious unknown room and man, the wrench now a pistol..._

"...You have _a lot_ of explaining to do." Julius finally said, his stare cold and voice emotionless. "You're not an ordinary outsider, are you?"

"...Nope."

Katie looked up at Julius, _the_ Julius, and instantly regretting looking into his eyes. Her pale face became slightly flushed, handing him the pistol while avoiding eye contact.

"...And my friends are the same way, wherever they are."

"...There's _more_ of you?"

Katie nodded.

"Indeed. Though I have no idea where they are. Liz was carried off by..." She paused for a second. "...Peter White, while Katrina tackled him to get to her. They fell down a hole...and I followed them. Without shoes. In like thirty to twenty degree winter weather with frost on the ground..."

The memory of the bottom of her feet becoming numb from the sidewalk and wet grass made them ache.

Julius raised an eyebrow. "You charged after someone who kidnapped one of your friends barefooted? In _winter_?"

"...You know, it may have been a pretty stupid idea. Didn't think I would be out that long."

She let out a heavy sigh, finding the courage to look at him in the eye once more.

"I...am sorry about...falling on you and all. Um...thanks for letting me stay here and all. I appreciate it."

Julius crossed his arms, his hard expression softening. There was a short silence before he let out a heavy sigh.

"...Whatever. It's a night period and I am too tired to care. The fact that now not only we have one outsider but _three more_ of them is tiring enough."

A small laugh escaped from Katie, feeling slightly amused at Julius's 'Why Must My Life Be So Complicated?' face.

"With that said, and no doubt you are still exhausted and in pain, I'll let you stay in my tower," the clockmaker continued. "I would give an introduction at this point, but you seem to...already know who I am."

Katie gave a sheepish smile, opening her mouth to reply. But before she could say her name, she stopped herself.

Like with any other introduction, she would have said her name was 'Katie,' the name she had gone by for so long. However, a part of her didn't want Julius to call her that. She was in a brand new world, one without anyone to judge her or know her. So why not start out fresh by calling herself...

"...My name is Katharine," she finally said with a shy smile. "Nice to meet you."


	4. Queens and the Invasion of Cats

_Wow. I know castles are big, but this place is gigantic_ , Liz thought while still keeping up with the much taller Peter.

She had previously tried to memorize where they were going so that later she could get out, but quickly found out that her mental map idea wasn't working. Either he was taking her directly to the throne room and the route just happened to be complex or Peter was taking a longer route just to make her lost. She preferred the latter with him, though now she could sympathize with Ace, the Knight of Hearts, not able to find his own room…

When they finally got to some large wooden doors that she assumed lead to the throne room, Liz was more than a little nervous. She was going to meet Vivaldi, the Queen of Hearts. The one who beheads servants on a whim. The one who loves red, the color of blood.

"Open the doors," Peter ordered, his voice firm and professional. "I request an audience with the queen."

As the doors opened, Liz couldn't help but let out a low "whoa" at the enormous circular throne room. On the small balcony sat an elegant woman in a heart shaped dress that fit in with the rest of the heart motif. She was sitting in a bored posture, but Liz could see that her attention was on her. Following Peter into the room, Liz could feel the queen's dark gaze on her as she glanced back at the closing doors.

 _What have I gotten myself into…_

"White, what is this?" Vivaldi demanded. "Is this a new outsider you have brought to our world?"

"What makes you assume _I_ brought her here?" Peter challenged, his ears twitching.

"We know you were the one who originally brought Alice. If another outsider were to show up, so long as you have your role, you are most likely to blame."

She shifted her gaze to the outsider.

"Are we right to assume that White was the force that brought you to our castle?"

"Yeah," Liz answered, feeling more and more uncomfortable with the queen's intense stare. "He kidnapped me and my friends may have followed."

Vivaldi's eyebrows rose.

"Friends? There are more outsiders here? Tell us your name and what happened to you and your friends. We wish to know."

Peter cleared his throat

"My queen," he suddenly interrupted, "I can easily tell you the events that occurred, even if it isn't necessary. What I came here to do was to introduce you to Liz so she may have a place to stay. Once she is rested, I will then return to her with her blasted friend-"

"Don't insult my friends!" Liz snapped, narrowing her eyes.

Peter glared down at her. "Be quiet."

"No, I won't be quiet!"

She tensed, ready for him to make a move. Whether to fight or run, she didn't know. If he did just want to kill her then she stood no chance either way. But at least she won't go down without a fight.

"Silence!"

Vivaldi's authoritative voice echoed in the now silent room. Liz flinched, immediately turned her attention the monarch, fearing that she would order her demise while Peter turned calmly.

"White, we wish to hear the girl speak."

"…As you wish, your majesty. Liz, explain what happened."

With some hesitation, feeling the pressure of queen and prime minister's intense stare, Liz started to describe what happened from her fragmented memories. As she told her tale her hands unconsciously started to play with the end of her blue shirt. She hated public speaking with a passion; it always made her feel weak even though her voice came out strong. However, it would be better for her to explain what happened rather than Peter who would probably exaggerate.

 _Why couldn't it be Kat, or even Katie, be here and talk instead?_

* * *

Katrina walked next to Boris as they made their way to Heart Castle.

 _Are we there yet! Ugh, I hate walking_.

The time period had not changed, so Katrina had absolutely no idea how long they had been traveling for, not like it would have helped, or mattered. She was, overall, having a blast, hanging out with Boris and just enjoying the forest scenery.

 _You know, I might not fully understand what is going on, but this is pretty awesome. Why aren't there any bugs here, not that I'm complaining…_

"… _Meow_ ~"

Boris halted where he was, giving her a blank stare.

"Did...did you just meow?" he asked.

Katrina stopped and nodded. "Yes!"

"...Why?"

"I don't know. Why not? I mean, I'm a Kat and you're a cat, and cats meow."

Like one of Elizabeth's pet cats, Katrina used her hand to playfully paw the air.

" _Meow_ ~ _Meow_ ~"

She continued to make her way down the path, mimicking a cat's movements as she walked. Boris caught up to her, smiling and purring softly.

"That is cute. You like cats?"

"Of course I love cats, like cats love food! Ye-yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." Katrina exclaimed. "And dogs, and …"

A picture of Bunny Peter flashed into her mind, imaging his cute face just like how it was in the manga. She would _totally_ need to make Peter transform into his adorable rabbit form!

 _But I might need to punch Peter before that. Actually, Elizabeth's probably already done that. Maybe I'll just glare at him._

"Okay, so your friend Elizabeth," Boris said, trying to change the subject because of the evil glare Katrina had adopted, "what is she like? Is she as...energetic as you are?"

" _Well_..."

Katrina paused to think of the right words.

"She's loud and obnoxious but outgoing and fun and cool and random but not as random as me." She smiled. "You'll like her, she'll like you, and I'm sure once we've kidnapped, er- _rescued_ Elizabeth, we'll all have tons of fun at the Amusement Park."

 _And maybe I'll takeover Wonderland while I'm here...mwha ha ha ha ha! Actually, that's not very plausible. Hmm, I wonder if I have like, main character plot armor while I'm here._

Boris nodded. "Cool. And you do plan to stay at the park, don't you? You and your friend will need a place to stay for night periods."

"True..."

 _Staying at the Amusement Park would be awesome, we could ride the rides whenever and all. Meet Mar-Mr. Gowland._ But _Elizabeth might already be 'staying' at the castle. Plus, staying at the Clock Tower would be fun, if there was enough room, as it's a neutral zone and all that. And I can't forget about Hatter Mansion. Never mind, the Bloody Twins and Blood do not sound like good roommates._

"Uh...Katrina?"

Boris gave her a concerned look. Katrina blinked and smiled.

"Oh...sorry. Just diabolically plotting again."

"...And _what_ are you 'diabolically planning,' exactly?"

"Nothing! You know _nothing_! And neither do I. Nothing…" Katrina trailed off, getting slightly lost in random thoughts again.

"But you just said..." He cut himself off as he noticed something through the dense trees. "Well, here we are: Heart Castle."

The two of them walked out of the forest, a large, coming into a large wide open space. Katrina's eyes grew wide when she took sight of the castle.

 _Whoa! Why isn't Heart Castle part of the Amusement Park?! It really looks like it belongs there, with some of its towers looking like ferris wheels and all these colors._

Shaking off her awe at the gigantic castle, Katrina asked, "So, Boris...how are we going to get inside? I doubt we can just walk up to the castle guards and be like, 'Hey, where is Elizabeth? We're taking her now! Kay, thanks, bye!'"

"I could probably find a way to sneak in," Boris answered, scanning the area. "I've made my way inside hundreds of times. Though I haven't done it before with anyone else..."

He became lost in thought. Katrina waited for a few seconds for him to reply before making a decision, "Alright. Plan 'Break into Heart Castle and Kidnap Elizabeth' is a go! Boris, lead the way."

Boris blinked, looking surprised by her response.

"...Really? Even though it is dangerous?"

"Yep, let's go!" Katrina answered with a false bravado.

 _Why am I doing this? This feels so stupid, but I honestly can't see a faster way to get Elizabeth out of there. I just hope she's safe. I guess I can also test out that plot armor idea. Please God, don't let anything go too terribly wrong. Elizabeth would_ not _like hearing I died._ I _wouldn't like hearing I died._

Boris stared at her for a few seconds, a smile slowly forming across his face.

"Wow, you are _way_ more fun than Alice ever was!" He chuckled, quickly coming to her side. "I guess not all you outsiders are as uptight as she is. I'm going to have so much fun playing with you!"

Katrina laughed, "Cool. So, any idea how to get in that doesn't end in death or injury?"

Boris's tail flicked back and forth, amusement glowing in his violet eyes. "I think I know the perfect entrance for the both of us. Here is what I'm thinking..."

* * *

"…and I followed him here to meet you…so…yeah," Liz finished lamely hoping that her pathetic attempt at storytelling was comprehensible.

"We see…" Vivaldi replied, her finger tips tapping the arm rest of her throne. "And we believe your story."

The queen then turned her dark gaze to Peter.

"White. Go find this other outsider. Do not return until she is found, and if you happen upon the other one, bring her as well. Liz shall stay with us in the meantime, as we still have many questions to ask her."

"Um… not to be rude or anything," Liz said with a hint of hesitation, her voice soft compared to the queen's, "but I don't think my friends would go willingly with Peter. It would be better if I went with him? So that they don't get hurt or anything."

Vivaldi narrowed her eyes.

"We understand your concern, but we cannot allow it. We want to keep your existence a secret for as long as possible from the other role holders. You may prove to be a useful secret for us, especially now that Alice is gone to the Hatters..."

 _Alice is living with the Hatters'? So that means post main manga? And what's the point in keeping me a secret!?_

Never in the manga did the different territories tried to use Alice for 'political gain.' Sure, they fought over her, kept 'persuading' her to live in their own territories, but it was never for anything to strategize over. Though in those times, it was before Alice would choose her love interest, whereas now she has and now two more outsiders, possibly a third, have just shown up...

At Liz's dejected look, Vivaldi's face softened showing some sympathy. "Do not think we are trying to imprison you, but we fear for your safety."

Liz made to argue because she wasn't one to sit around and do nothing while her friends were lost in the strange land, but was interrupted by a guard that came rushing in.

"Your majesty, Prime Minister!" the faceless exclaimed. "The Cheshire Cat is trespassing on our territory and is in the castle. There is an unknown girl with him as well. However, she isn't a faceless nor Alice."

"That has to be Kat or Katie!" Liz said with hope decorating her face. "What did she look like? Tall, Short? Black hair, brown hair?"

"Well, _I_ didn't see her, but I've heard that she is kind of short with long black hair. And she was…meowing?"

The faceless guard's voice cracked slightly, as if he could not compherend the strange behavior he just reported. However, just by mention there was, 'meowing,' Liz automatically knew that was Kat. Relief flooded through her and lifted a weight she didn't know was on her shoulders. Kat was okay. And safe…or as safe as you can get in Wonderland.

She let out a weak chuckle. "Oh, Kat."

Liz payed no mind to Peter's orders to the guard to go get the outsider and bring her to them. The faceless guard quickly saluted and rushed from the room.

Liz moved to follow him, when her arm was caught in a strong grip. Glancing back confirmed that Peter had seized her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

Glaring at him she twisted her arm to try and free it, but Peter had a tighter grasp than she thought.

"Where do you think? To get Kat."

"You will stay here with the Queen while I go deal with this," he ordered, his voice dangerously low.

"Ah _hell_ no," Liz replied, tugging on his grip forcefully. "I won't let a trigger happy bunny get my best friend. It'd be faster if I went. She's my best friend, she knows me and I know her. She is probably here to retrieve me from being _kidnapped_ by you."

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"And how would she know to come here? Not to mention an enemy of Heart Castle is with her."

"Oh, I don't know. There can be _too_ many people that look as ridiculous as you that kidnap people!"

" _Enough_!"

Rising from her throne, Vivaldi gracefully descended and made her way to where Peter and Liz were.

"The Cheshire Cat is irrelevant," the queen said. "What matters is the outsider. We allow Liz to help look and once both are found, we shall gather them here and sort things out. There will be no bloodshed, unless the cat attacks first."

Peter blinked, a surprised look in his gaze, staring at Vivaldi as if she had grown two heads. Liz was just as confused, seeing that the red queen never hesitated to kill, in any circumstances. There was probably a reason for it, though at the moment, Liz didn't care too much. She didn't want Boris to get hurt, as he was a pretty cool character in the manga, and it got her to help search as well.

"...Thanks, Vivaldi," Liz said with a small smile.

With one last tug, she was able to break free from Peter. She bolted from the room, missing the look Peter sent her. Briefly stopping to ask for directions, she began to traverse the large castle with the hope that she would be able to find Kat and Boris before any other castle guards and maids did.


	5. The Kat Finds Her Way

"Okay, so I think if we turn right here, we'll be able to make our way to the first floor," Boris said as he looked both ways of the hallway. "Or...was it to the left? You know, it was because of Alice that I stopped coming here often..." He sighed. "I'm _really_ out of practice."

Katrina blinked, looking down both ways too.

Before she could think up a good response, a loud voice rang out. " _Kat_!"

Katrina froze, recognizing Elizabeth's voice.

"That's Elizabeth! Quick, follow me if you want to live!" she exclaimed without thinking.

She turned towards the left, the direction she heard the voice come from.

" _Meow_!" She _meowed_ as loud as she could, hoping it would be enough for Elizabeth to hear. She then started to run faster, Boris following right behind her.

" _Kat_!" Elizabeth cried out again, her voice sounding closer.

 _Yes! Direction!_

" _Meow_!" Katrina replied, hoping that she could lead Elizabeth as she was leading her.

" _Kat_!"

" _Meow_!"

" _Kat_!"

" _Meow_!"

" _Kat_!"

" _Meow_!"

" _Kat_!"

Taking a sharp turn, there was a large group of maids blocking their way. Katrina came to a sudden halt with Boris bumping right into her. Seeing them, some of the maids screamed, others pulling out small pistols from their sides.

 _Well..._

"Crap baskets." Katrina stood where she was, because probably, no matter which way she moved, she would most likely get shot. Which would suck.

"Get behind me!"

Doing a front flip over her, Boris shielded her and got out of his gun.

 _Boris meat shield! Wait-_

The half formed thought was cut off abruptly as the shootout began.

Gunfire and cries of pain caused Katrina to squeeze her eyes shut and cover her ears. She felt her blood freeze. Soon enough, the fighting ceased, Boris studying his gun with a look of pride. Katrina opened her eyes slowly, but at the first sign of blood squeezed them shut again. Slowly the smell filtered into her nose.

"And this is why I didn't want you go by yourself," he said. "You didn't get shot, did you?"

There was a long pause.

"...Katrina?"

He glanced down to see Katrina frozen in place, hunched over, eyes shut, hand over her mouth, shaking slightly.

 _Don't throw up. Don't throw up. I got this. I_ totally _got this... Breath. In. Out. In. Out. The ringing in your ears will go away soon._

"Katrina? Shit, not again..."

Boris put his hands on top of her shoulders, trying to find a way to comfort her. Katrina didn't open her eyes but moved her hand from her mouth.

"I-"

"Kat!" Elizabeth's voice was jarring.

Eyes flashing open, Katrina immediately remembered where she was and why. She opened her eyes slowly. Unable to look him in the eyes and refusing to look anywhere else she stared at the man's chest.

"Boris. H-help me move. Elizabeth can't see this."

"What?"

"Kat!" Katrina could tell Elizabeth was getting closer.

"Now."

Urgency filled her voice and prompted Boris to wrap his arms around her like they were hugging and pulled her forward, around another corner. The stairs lay right in front of them. From the flight of stairs, Elizabeth came rushing down, panting heavily like she had ran through the castle and back. Katrina quickly stepped back from Boris and stuffed her fists in her pockets.

"Kat! I'm so glad you're okay."

Elizabeth rushed forward, tackling her friend in a bear hug. Katrina gave a half-hearted chuckle, but didn't move to hug her friend back.

Elizabeth moved back before speaking again. "Hey are you okay? Something smells weird."

"Fine! I'm fine. And besides you just made my day with that game of Marco Polo. Besides, I wasn't the one that was kidnapped." Katrina was surprised at how steady her voice was, but cringed at her own joke.

 _Why did I do that?_

Something in her chest clenched. She ignored it. Keep it together. Neither Boris nor Elizabeth seemed to notice the terrible joke and for that she was grateful. Boris was giving her some worried looks though.

Unfortunately, some of the blood seemed to have splashed onto Katrina's pants and Elizabeth noticed it.

"Kat, why is there blood on your pants?" Elizabeth half asked, half demanded.

"I decided to sacrifice someone to Stan."

 _There I go making another joke. Too bad I'm the only one who gets that one._

"Boris?" Elizabeth turned towards the Cheshire Cat, who was confused more than anything.

"We ran into some of the palace servants on the way here. I ended up killing them and then she freaked out."

"Oh." Elizabeth said, because there really wasn't a good response to that kind of news.

Boris tugged Katrina back to him, she didn't put up much of a fight, and moved to grab Elizabeth's arm, "And now we can all go back to the Amusement Park!"

"They will _not_ be going anywhere with you, cat."

Quickly turning around, the three of them could see Peter pointing a gun at them, a dark, irritated look in his eyes. Elizabeth stood her ground while Boris just gave a cocky smirk.

"I thank you for bringing the second outsider to Heart Castle, cat," he spat with fake politeness. "Saved me the trouble of having to hunt her down myself."

"What makes you think I brought her to _you_?" Boris replied coolly. "I was simply trying to reunite her with her friend. Who you kidnapped, according to her."

He let go of both girls and stood between them and Peter.

Elizabeth glanced worriedly over to Katrina who had just closed her eyes and was breathing a little too evenly.

"While it is awesome we've got three more outsiders because of you, I think Katrina and Elizabeth have had enough of you for now."

Opening her eyes again Katrina asked, "So, Peter, how'd kidnapping Elizabeth go? I imagine she probably punched you. Do you really want to keep her here?"

"I have to. She is my responsibility and apparently so are you." Peter narrowed his dark red gaze. "Besides, I brought _Liz_ here because I need her to help my true love's struggle. As for you and the other, you came under your own free will. Though I do have to ask, did you drink any liquid out of a vial?"

Katrina sighed, eyes fluttering closed again and let the silence stretch on.

 _I imagine we can't leave here without a fight. She swallowed heavily. No I won't let them. What else could we do? Surrender? What about Boris? Would he surrender us? Probably not. Urgh. What to do? What to do?_

"Well?" Peter demanded.

Katrina blinked, "Oh, uh. Yeah. Yeah, I drank it."

"You were supposed to escort the outsiders to the throne room, Peter."

A new voice answered. Vivaldi stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the small group.

"Of course. I was just doing that." Peter replies curtly, ascending the stairs, obviously expecting the others to follow.

"Katrina?" Boris asked worriedly.

"I- I'm fine." Katrina said, moving jerkily, but by herself. Elizabeth sent her a pointed look she stubbornly ignored as she unsteadily made her way up the stairs.

Boris however refused to be so passive and scooped Katrina up onto his shoulder.

"Boris! I said I could do it by myself."

"Yeah, but this way is much faster. And I'm kinda afraid you're going to fall back down those steps if I let you do it by yourself."

Elizabeth hurried after, slightly grateful for Boris' intervention and very worried about friend.

When the three finally walked into the throne room, Vivaldi thundered, "We order you to tell us who you are. Elizabeth informs us that you are named Cat. Although you do not look much like one."

But on the way up Katrina had started shaking again, already flashing back to the massacre despite her best efforts to avoid thinking about it and had buried her face into Boris' scarf. Boris responded for her.

"Heh, sorry about this your majesty. But things got a little messy on the way here and _Katrina_ isn't doing so well."

"Then we demand she rest here! You shall release her to us and leave at once!"

"Aww. But I found her. Besides she obviously likes me the most." He replied possessively, grip tightening just a little.

"The Queen gave an order, cat." Peter drew his gun. Upon hearing the gun being drawn, Katrina spoke up.

"It's alright Boris. I promise I'll come visit you soon. Just let go. Please? I don't want any more fighting." All three role holders were instantly reminded of Alice.

"Alright, but promise it'll be soon okay?" Boris said, reluctantly setting her down.

"Yeah I promise." Katrina gave a smile. "So, where were we?"

She turned around suddenly acting normally but if Elizabeth was being honest it weirded her out because she should not be that normal after what had just happened.

"Right, well it was night, right before midnight, and Peter appeared out of nowhere. Then he just picked Elizabeth up and started leaving. I jumped on him. We fell into a gigantic hole that wasn't there before. And I might have gotten hit with a shoe somewhere along the way."

Vivaldi, seemingly unperturbed by the mood change, sighed and glared at Peter.

"We see. The Prime Minister will be reprimanded accordingly for his actions. As it is we have ordered the maids to prepare three rooms, one for each of you girls." she explained, "They will be right next to each other, so you can visit whenever you wish. Once the night period, or periods, are over, we will bring back your friend back from the Clock Tower."

Elizabeth blinked. "Wait, 'Clock Tower?' Katie ended up at the Clock Tower?"

Katrina laughed, it sounded hollow to her own ears. "Nice!"

 _Maybe I can go stay in neutral territory._

"Yes. Our Knight of Hearts reported a new outsider being there," Vivaldi replied. "Apparently, she had fallen from the sky and landed right on top of the clockmaker. She was out cold, so he decided let the clockmaker tend to her until she awakens."

She gave off a soft chuckle, as if the thought amused her. Both Katrina and Elizabeth stopped in their tracks, Elizabeth bursting out laughing while Katrina's mouth twisted upwards, genuinely.

 _Wow, Katie. Smooth._

"Oh my God..." Laughing so hard, Elizabeth fell to the ground, having a difficult time breathing.

Vivaldi turned to face them, smirking while she waited for them to regain control of themselves. "We suppose this amuses you?"

Katrina nodded while Elizabeth leaned against the wall for support.

"Indeed." Katrina said.

 _Out of all the ways to get to Wonderland, out of all the people to fall on top of..._

Even she couldn't hold back a small smile, imagining what Katie's reaction would be once she found out what happened. Maybe Wonderland won't be so bad.


	6. Curiouser and Curiouser

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Katharine studied her Medicine of the Heart vial, swishing the liquid back and forth like it was a test tube of an unknown liquid. She was in the only spare bedroom that the Clock Tower had, where Julius had advised to rest so her body could heal. She did what he said, even if it was extremely difficult with her curiosity growing. But now she was wide awake, her senses now on high alert.

She had found the vial in her front left pocket before she went to sleep again (crushing her headphones, much to her irritation), deciding to study it after she had rested. A part of her wondered if Julius knew she had this, and what his reaction would be if she drank the thing willingly.

"Hmm..."

Opening the lid of the vial, Katharine poured out a tiny bit of it onto her fingers, feeling that the liquid was very thick and warm. It surprised her, expecting it to be a lot like water, but it was _very_ clear that it was anything but that. Closest thing she could describe it as was slime or mucus that formed around snails and others like it. Drying her fingers against her pants, she studied the liquid for another few seconds.

 _If it wasn't for the fact I was in Wonderland now, I would just dump this useless liquid down the drain. However, knowing how this thing works..._

If Katharine drank the liquid, that would mean she would be for sure trapped in this world for a good while, being forced to do much socializing and having God knows what happen in the process. But it could be just as risky not to drink it.

There was a chance she might be forced to choose to stay or leave the country before finding her friends, who may or may not be stuck here if they drank their medicines. There was no way she would leave them behind, nor did she want to leave till she got the answers to her many, many, _many_ questions. Pros and cons to both, each bring out her curiosity...

"...What the hell. It's for science."

With a shrug, Katharine ended up drinking the whole thing in one big gulp, feeling the heavy, thick liquid go down her throat. It tasted sour and sweet. Bitter, cold, and warm...it was the most inconsistent thing she ever drank. Ever.

 _Though I suppose the Medicine of the Heart is connected to one's feelings. And ever since college, my feelings have been extremely unstable... So I guess it is to be expected._

She sighed heavily while she put the vial back in her pocket, looking out the window to see it was still a night period.

 _I wonder if Julius is still awake..._

Remembering how on edge he was after she revealed that all he had ever known was fictional...it would probably be in Katharine's best interest to explain herself more.

 _Damn it, I really screwed myself over. First I blurt out valuable information that could have been useful later._ _She paused in thought._ _...Then again, it could be worse. I could have said this to Peter, Vivaldi, or worse Blood._

Thinking over the situation more, it would appear that maybe Katharine was not as screwed as she first thought. Feeling that she had rested well enough, she decided to leave the guestroom. She walked down the narrow, curved hallway. Her room was not far from Julius's workroom, only a few rooms down, where she then gave a soft knock and cracked the door opened slightly.

"Julius, you still up?" Katharine asked.

She saw him sitting behind his desk, fixing a clock with great concentration.

"Yes, I'm still up," Julius replied, stating the obvious. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thanks." Closing the door behind her, she walked up to his side. " _So_...how many clocks have you fixed since I went to bed?"

"Several," Julius replied, his gaze remaining on his work. "I lost count about half way through."

"I see..."

There was a short silence, Katharine's gaze moving around the room as she desperately try to think of something else to say. Really, it was hard for her to look at Julius, a feeling self conscious taking over her making her more socially awkward than usual.

"This 'manga' you mentioned earlier... Can you tell me about it?"

She blinked as she realized that Julius was talking to her. She took in a deep breath.

"Well...it's a long, complicated story. You see..."

Really having no choice at this point, Katharine explained all she knew about Alice in the Country of Hearts. While she never had played the games, she was quite knowledgeable on the mangas based off them, going into _great_ detail what happened in the main series. Plot wise, though leaving out some details like Blood's true relationship to Vivaldi and such. Not wanting to make things _more_ insufferable, she left out the spin off books where Alice was paired up with a different guy in each one, only mentioning Blood's romance and Peter's affections towards her (since it was 'cannon').

 _God I hope this is BloodXAlice, since that pairing is forced in the most._ _She paused in thought, her blue eyes growing distant._ _Which begs the question if Alice wasn't with Blood in this universe, or timeline, whatever, who would she be with?! Peter? No...probably not. Boris? More plausible. ...Ace? I guess..._

"That's...interesting," Katharine heard Julius say, shaking her out of her theories. "You described everything that has happened since Alice showed up so...accurately."

Katharine blinked. "...Yep." _Was not dozing off on you... Nope._ "Uh...so, does that mean Alice lives with you? I haven't seen a trace of her since I've been here. Is she visiting the others or something?"

Julius's eyes grew dark.

"...She _used_ to live here, but after her relationship with the Hatter grew stronger..."

His voice trailed off, where he didn't bother to continue. Nor did he need to, for Katharine quickly picked up the meaning.

 _So now Alice has moved in with Blood? Guess that would have to happen eventually. I wonder how well they get along now? Is Blood's his stalkerish incarnation, like how he was in The Mad Hatter's Late Night Tea Party? Or is he actually cool and complex, like in the main series and Circus and Liar's Game? I wonder how long they have been officially together... How well did the other role holders take it?_

She could imagine that Peter took it as well as expected...by losing it completely and destroying half of Heart Castle. Or causing the temporary apocalypse, either one she could believe.

"...Now that you are awake, what are you planning to do?"

Katharine blinked, now noticing that Julius was talking to her.

"Err...what did you say? I didn't quite catch that."

He sighed. "I asked what you were planning to do now that you are awake. Are you going to search for your friends?"

"Oh! Yeah, I will be," Katharine answered with a nod. "While also taking the time to see the Country of Hearts and learn all I can."

Her gaze brightened up.

"Speaking of questions...can you tell me about the clocks? How is it possible for them to work as hearts? Does it produce blood? I know you guys bleed...or is the oil that they are made of your guys' blood? Are our hearts the only thing that makes us different? Are fixing clocks and reincarnation the only way you guys reproduce and keep life going? And if you can reproduce in other ways, what-"

"One question at a time! _Please_!"

Julius's face was beginning to turn red, him rubbing his forehead and groaning.

"I can answer all your questions, just _stop_ talking so fast!" he exclaimed, trying to regain his composure. "I can barely understand what you are saying."

Katharine closed her mouth slowly. Really? Even _here_ she talked fast?

 _Damn it..._

Seeing a light form from the corner of her eye, Katharine turned to see that the time period had changed to day.

"Thank goodness the night _finally_ ends..."

Julius stood up from his desk, placing the now fixed clock the side.

"Before you do anything else, let me buy you a pair of shoes," he said. "You'll need one to get anywhere outside the Clock Tower."

"Uh..." Her eyes grew wide. "...Thanks, but you don't have to buy me new shoes..."

"I have to, you have no money."

"...True, _but_ -"

"It's fine. You can pay me back later."

He walked passed Katharine, her turning around to make sure she faced him.

"Okay," she said, "so I need to make you a pot of coffee or something?"

"Do you know how to make coffee?"

"...I can figure it out with a little bit experimentation...eventually..."

She let out a small, uneasy laugh. Julius sighed heavily in reply, rolling his eyes.

"We'll worry about that later," he said. "Come on, I'm a very busy man and would like to get back before my work piles up again."


End file.
